Chapter 2881: Notorious Reputation

"Xue Jiu!" Xuan Wuzong roared during the battle. "If this city suffers any losses today, I will fight you to the death!"

If they were fighting elsewhere, Xuan Wuzong could have fled even if he were outmatched. However, this was Ten-Step City, his very foundation. He had no retreat; today's battle would either see him repel Xue Jiu and protect his Harmonization Pearl, or be utterly defeated by Xue Jiu right here.

From within the sea of blood, Xue Jiu's cold voice resonated: "You so wantonly humiliated my Insect and Blood tribesmen; you should have known this day would come!"

Xuan Wuzong was momentarily speechless. How could he have known that Xue Jiu would ever return? Ever since he witnessed Lu Ye unleash the power of the Sky Mirror that day, he had been convinced that Xue Jiu was dead! With the Blood Lord gone, why would he ever care about the cultivators from the two tribes who had pledged their allegiance?

While such a fierce battle raged within Ten-Step City, turmoil also erupted in various locations outside the walls. Hearing the Blood Lord's command, the numerous cultivators from the two tribes no longer hesitated and launched their attacks with ferocity. Unfortunately, compared to the deep resources of Ten-Step City, the two-tribe cultivators were ultimately at a significant disadvantage in terms of numbers. Furthermore, most of them were ordinary cultivators, not high-ranking officials or city lords. Thus, although the disturbance erupted suddenly, it could only achieve a momentary element of surprise; it would soon be suppressed. As for the ultimate outcome of today's battle, it still hinged on the decisive clash within Ten-Step City.

At the central grand hall, Lu Ye furiously attacked with his blade. As the Myriad Poison Pearl's power continuously surged, the inner formation's light barrier visibly dimmed. The Harmonization Guard's eyes were wide with terror, his face a mask of shock. He had long heard tales of Lu Ye's formidable methods but dared not truly believe them, until he witnessed the spectacle with his own eyes and realized the truth surpassed all rumors.

Beside him, a sea of blood unfurled – the Blood Sea Art, conjured by Xue Kuang. Given the immense commotion, Ten-Step City cultivators had already arrived, but Xue Kuang dragged all of them into the sea of blood, their lives extinguished one by one. Xue Kuang's inherent power as a Universe-level City Lord was considerable, even without the Harmonization Pearl's augmentation. However, his situation mirrored Xue Jiu's: two fists could not contend against four. As more and more Ten-Step City cultivators arrived, his sea of blood began to falter, showing signs of imminent collapse. And this impending collapse reached its limit as a fierce roar echoed through the air.

"Audacious!" As the fierce roar resounded, three figures, emanating powerful auras, swiftly arrived. Without needing to look, Xue Kuang knew exactly who these three powerful individuals were. He urgently transmitted a message: "Lu Ye, it's the three Vice City Lords of Ten-Step City. I can't hold out much longer."

A Universe-level Harmonization City could have up to nine Vice City Lords beneath the City Lord. All nine enjoyed varying degrees of augmented power, with the amplification increasing the higher their rank. Of the three who arrived, the leader was Ten-Step City's Fourth Vice City Lord. The remaining two were the Eighth and Ninth, respectively, but each possessed the foundational strength of a Universe-level City Lord. With the Harmonization Pearl's augmentation, none of them were opponents Xue Kuang could hope to contend with.

These three Vice City Lords had undoubtedly arrived on Xuan Wuzong's direct orders. Xuan Wuzong, leading a larger contingent of powerful cultivators, had managed to stabilize the situation with Xue Jiu. However, they could not afford to be complacent regarding the central grand hall. Xuan Wuzong had recently clashed with Lu Ye and was well aware of his power. Therefore, he immediately dispatched three Vice City Lords. In his estimation, while these three combined might not defeat Lu Ye, they would be enough to contain him and ensure the inner formation of the central grand hall remained secure. Once he had repelled Xue Jiu on his side, he could then dedicate his full attention to Lu Ye, thereby guaranteeing the safety of Ten-Step City.

The three Vice City Lords charged in with fierce determination. With their very first moves, they shattered Xue Kuang's Blood Sea Art. Their gazes then fixed on Lu Ye, who was still dismantling the formation. A sharp glint flashed in each of their eyes as they simultaneously unleashed their attacks. Xuan Wuzong had specifically instructed them that Lu Ye was a warrior cultivator, and his supreme Dao artifact was a Weapon Tribe member, so they must under no circumstances engage him in close-quarters combat. Consequently, all three positioned themselves at a distance, launching a barrage of attacks using their various techniques.

In front of the inner formation, Lu Ye, who was exerting pressure on the light barrier with his blade, frowned. In his current state, he couldn't move an inch, or all his previous efforts would be wasted. Yet, if he remained still, he would simply become a defenseless target. Fortunately, he was not without recourse. With a swift gesture, a figure materialized beside him – it was his Talent Tree clone, radiating with surging crimson energy, its form already enveloped in blood-colored robes. The clone instantly appeared behind Lu Ye and tapped the sword gourd at its waist. In a flash, a dense torrent of continuous sword light, like a swarm of dragons emerging from their lair, surged forth to meet the three Vice City Lords.

Their respective techniques clashed violently in mid-air. The sweeping aftershocks were accompanied by a continuous chorus of screams. Many Ten-Step City cultivators were caught in the blast, suffering heavy casualties in an instant. Even Xue Kuang was utterly terrified, for he could distinctly feel that any single wisp of sword qi unleashed by Lu Ye's clone was more than capable of effortlessly extinguishing him at that very moment.

The faces of the three Vice City Lords twisted in shock. Xuan Wuzong had only informed them that Lu Ye was a warrior cultivator; he hadn't mentioned that the man also possessed sword cultivation techniques. Moreover, this sword qi, like surging dragons, was more refined than even that of a pure sword cultivator. What terrified them even more was that their techniques proved utterly fragile against these sword energies, shattering one after another, while the sword energies themselves continued to surge towards them with undiminished momentum.

The three figures immediately scattered, fleeing in different directions, but it was utterly futile. Countless sword energies, like persistent maggots burrowing into bone, relentlessly pursued them, impossible to shake off. After only a few moments, the Ninth Vice City Lord stopped, his face contorted in despair. With a furious roar, his body abruptly expanded, his qi and blood boiling like hot oil, as he raised a massive, shield-shaped Dao artifact before him. He could no longer escape; his only hope was to somehow withstand this ferocious assault. As Ten-Step City's Ninth Vice City Lord, his personal resources and wealth were far from ordinary. The massive shield Dao artifact was, in fact, a domain-level treasure, and relying on it, he had averted several major disasters over the years.

Thud, thud, thud...

No sooner had he erected the great shield than a barrage of impacts erupted, its surface rapidly dimming as the light faded, causing his expression to contort in horror. Previously, he had merely perceived the sword qi unleashed by Lu Ye's clone as fierce, but only at this moment did he truly grasp its terrifying power. In just a single breath, he felt his Dao artifact's defenses on the verge of collapsing. The terrifying force emanating from the front made it impossible for him to maintain his defensive posture. No matter how vigorously he channeled the Dao power circulating within him, it was utterly insufficient to replenish the shield's defensive energy quickly enough.

In the next instant, the great shield Dao artifact was torn from his grasp and sent flying. The Ninth Vice City Lord's eyes widened, his vision completely consumed by a deluge of sword light. Blood splattered. The myriad sword lights, like tearing paper, pierced through his form, riddling his entire body with countless perforations. Even as he fell, a look of profound shock remained on his face. He simply could not believe that he, the esteemed Ninth Vice City Lord of Ten-Step City, had been so decisively slain by an outsider within his own city.

As the Ninth Vice City Lord perished, the life force of the Eighth Vice City Lord was also extinguished. In fact, the Eighth Vice City Lord had died even earlier than the Ninth. Although his strength was slightly greater than the Ninth Vice City Lord's, his defensive capabilities were not as robust. Unable to evade the relentless sword qi pursuing him, he had no chance of survival when forced to directly clash with it. Only the Fourth Vice City Lord, the strongest among them, miraculously salvaged his life as blood splattered across the sky, fleeing back in disarray.

Xue Kuang watched from the sidelines, utterly stunned! If he hadn't recognized the faces of those three Vice City Lords, he might have almost believed they were merely three ordinary Harmonization cultivators. But now, Lu Ye was slaughtering Vice City Lords of the Ten Harmonization Cities as easily as butchering chickens and dogs. Just how powerful was this man? Furthermore, it wasn't even his true self that acted, but merely a clone. What sort of spectacle would it have been if his true self had intervened? No wonder the Blood Lord endured such humiliation to cooperate with this man; indeed, such a powerful individual should not be offended. What he didn't know was that there was not a significant difference in strength between Lu Ye's true self and his clone; the primary difference lay only in the augmentation provided by their respective Dao artifacts. Even if his true self had genuinely taken action, the outcome would not have been significantly different.

The three Vice City Lords had arrived with menacing intent, yet in just a brief moment, two were dead and one injured. The numerous sword energies then swept through the immediate vicinity, annihilating many Ten-Step City cultivators who had come to interfere. Such a ferocious display of slaughter ensured that no one else dared to come to their aid.

Inside the central grand hall, the Harmonization Guard had witnessed everything that just occurred, filled with both shock and despair. To be honest, when the three Vice City Lords had arrived as reinforcement, he had almost impulsively rushed out to join them. After all, he too held the position of a Vice City Lord in Ten-Step City, ranking third. But before he could even charge out, his three colleagues had already been utterly defeated. Lu Ye's true self hadn't even intervened; he was still focused on breaking the formation. This horrifying scene made the Harmonization Guard's scalp prickle with dread; for a moment, he found himself utterly overwhelmed.

The current situation was utterly desperate. Judging by Lu Ye's methods, he would likely breach the formation very soon. Once he stormed into the central grand hall, whether or not the guard himself was an match for him, the Harmonization Pearl would certainly not be safe if a real fight ensued. If the Harmonization Pearl shattered, he, as the Third Vice City Lord, and every high-ranking powerful individual within the city would lose their augmented power. At that point, it would still be a dead end.

For a moment, he felt an overwhelming urge to flee. But where could he possibly escape to? Lu Ye was blocking the main entrance; he couldn't possibly break through. Flee to the Harmonization Realm? Lu Ye had killed Zong Shenliang; dealing with him would be effortless, wouldn't it?

"Daoist Lu..." As these thoughts raced through the Harmonization Guard's mind, he made a decision. "If I disable the formation, will you refrain from obstructing my entry into the Harmonization Realm and promise not to pursue me afterward?"

After much deliberation, he concluded this was likely his sole path to survival. Thus, he cast aside all other considerations; after years of cultivation, he had no desire to die here.

Outside the grand hall, Lu Ye, still dismantling the formation, raised an eyebrow upon hearing the proposition. He had never anticipated that the individual inside would make such a decision. From this perspective, a fearsome reputation clearly had its advantages. Killing Zong Shenliang in the Harmonization Realm had indeed proven to be a formidable deterrent. In the past, even if he knew he was outmatched, the person inside would undoubtedly have held out until the very end, as he would have had ample opportunity to retreat into the Harmonization Realm. But that was no longer an option. The Harmonization Realm, long revered as a sanctuary, was no longer safe.

"Swear an oath that you will never oppose me again, and I will spare your life!" Lu Ye's voice rang out. Although he was capable of breaking the formation, every moment he spent doing so severely depleted his Dao power. If he could reduce that expenditure, why wouldn't he?